A HISTORY OF UKRAINE. EPISODE 21. FEUDAL FRAGMENTATION

The history of Rus’ of those times consisted largely of wars with the Cumans and internecine fighting between dynasties, primarily those of Monomakhovychi and Olhovychi, and the gradually increasing domination of the centers of various principalities — Chernihiv, Halych, Volodymyr in Volhynia etc.

Campaign against the Cumans, Radziwiłł Chronicle, 14th century.

In the 11th and 12th centuries there were three principalities on the territory of Ukraine: the Kyiv principality, directly ruled by the Grand Prince; the Pereiaslav principality to which the Grand Prince usually appointed his son or brother who was to inherit his throne; the Chernihiv principality, closely connected with the Novhorod-Siverskyi principality, which was dependent on the former from the beginning. These principalities comprised Rus’. The Volodymyr principality with the center in Volodymyr (Volhynia) was closely associated with the Lutsk principality; the Halych principality and parts of the Peremyshl, Terebovlia and Zvenyhorod principalities began to be called Rus’ in the 12th century.

The Kyiv principality maintained control over a number of fortresses located far to the south, including Oleshky, which controlled Rus’ trade in the Black Sea region and the Tmutorokan principality in the Crimea.

LIST OF KYIVAN RULERS SINCE 862 AD:

0862—0882 Askold (Høskuldr) and Dýri, killed by Oleh (Helgi)0882—0915 Oleh (Helgi) the Prophet, relative of Rurik (Rørik) 0915—0945 Ihor (Ingvar), son of Rurik (Rørik), killed by Drevlians0945—0962 Olha (Helga) the Saint, widow of Ihor (Ingvar)0962—0972 Sviatoslav (Sveinald) the Brave, son of Ihor (Ingvar) & Olha (Helga), killed by Pechenegs0972—0980 Yaropolk, son of Sviatoslav & Predslava, killed by Volodymyr's order 0980—1015 Volodymyr the Great, son of Sviatoslav & Malusha1015—1019 Sviatopolk the Accursed, son of Yaropolk & a Greek nun, seized Kyiv with Boleslaw of Poland1015—1054 Yaroslav the Wise, son of Volodymyr & Rogneda from Polotsk1054—1078 Iziaslav, son of Yaroslav & Ingigerda from Sweden1073—1076 Sviatoslav II /usurpator/, son of Yaroslav & Ingigerda from Sweden1078—1093 Vsevolod /usurpator/, son of Yaroslav & Ingigerda from Sweden1078—1087 Yaropolk III /legal/, son of Iziaslav & Gertrude from Poland1093—1113 Sviatopolk II, son of Iziaslav & Gertrude from Poland1113—1125 Volodymyr II the Monomakh, son of Vsevolod & Anastasia from Byzantium1125—1132 Mstyslav the Great, son of Volodymyr II & Gytha from Wessex